Getting out of that dubstep mentality.

[Nibzz]

Alright folks,

There has been a few times where I have thought: "I fancy making a House track" or "Some Trance" and I have opened up Ableton and set to work only to be sat an hour later scratching my head, no idea what to do, or not feeling it anymore.

So, basically, how do you guys do it? How do you get into the feel of making a track in a genre you don't usually produce in. I just can't get out of the mentality of dubstep, I make something I like and before you know it there is a 2-step beat and a big sub in there too, or some growls. I struggle to get very far when I have something good too, I end up taking the parts I like most and using them in some dubstep lol.

Anyway, just wondering.

[alphacat]

Try playing a physical instrument like piano or guitar or something instead. I find the Ukulele doesn't make me want to shit filthy drops all over the place, for example.

[fragments]

Well, you are just going to have to break your habit of formulas. Let me guess that every time you've sat down to make a tune you've done damn near the exact same thing every single time until trying to make another genre then having not a clue?

Listen (don't just hear, listen) to a house tune and take notes. Then force yourself to finish. But really you should stop yourself from working inside formulas completely. Make some tunes where you begin with no expectations, no ideas. Begin with chord progression written with a piano preset, write a melody with another instrument, then a simple bassline. Write your beat around it. And for fuck sake, stay away from anything remotely mathematically related to 140bpm! Write a tune using only samples and a chopped beat. Do anything is different and don't worry about "what's right" just write a tune.

You've taught yourself into a corner man.

[Crimsonghost]

Well, you are just going to have to break your habit of formulas. Let me guess that every time you've sat down to make a tune you've done damn near the exact same thing every single time until trying to make another genre then having not a clue?

Listen (don't just hear, listen) to a house tune and take notes. Then force yourself to finish. But really you should stop yourself from working inside formulas completely. Make some tunes where you begin with no expectations, no ideas. Begin with chord progression written with a piano preset, write a melody with another instrument, then a simple bassline. Write your beat around it. And for fuck sake, stay away from anything remotely mathematically related to 140bpm! Write a tune using only samples and a chopped beat. Do anything is different and don't worry about "what's right" just write a tune.

You've taught yourself into a corner man.

^ this.

Another thing I like to do is take a song and drop it into my daw, then try to recreate it. Not the sounds themselves, but the song structure. Beat pattern, ect. I wanted to make a complextro song so I currently have Porter Robinsons say my name loaded up. It's defiantly helped me get some ideas down as well as the structure for making something I'm not used to.

[Nibzz]

Try playing a physical instrument like piano or guitar or something instead. I find the Ukulele doesn't make me want to shit filthy drops all over the place, for example.

I do have those instruments there, gathering dust thanks to Ableton

Cheers guys will defo have a go at 'em all.

[JTreeZY]

I've got my default bpm set 140 so when ever I open up Reason I just start tryin to make dubstep, try setiing yours to 125 or whatever and just start tryna make it

[Kongret]

I've got my default bpm set 140 so when ever I open up Reason I just start tryin to make dubstep, try setiing yours to 125 or whatever and just start tryna make it

Nah, won't help. You can make dubstep in 125 too

[Kongret]

I know how you feel op, i tried to make house ones, ended up with one metal tune and one breakbeat tune. Just keep trying and eventually it will come, i'm sure that when you started making dubstep you were sitting clueless at first too.

[claudedefaren]

Klay the house beat down first thing. problem solved.

[jrisreal]

Start with the drum beat then? The process of making a non-dubstep song should be fairly simple, given that the subject is able to make a dubstep song.

[wub]

Never start with the drums IMO.

Let key sample/element dictate beat structure, not the other way round.

[jrisreal]

It's situational. Doesn't matter what you start with. If you operate most efficiently and/or effectively by abstaining from implementing a drum sequence before other instruments, nobody has any qualms with your methods. However, Nibzz has stated his difficulties with attempting to create music of genres other than dubstep. My advice may or may not aid in the process.

[wub]

Then again, maybe something that is so drum driven as techno, for example, might benefit from starting with the drums, or certainly the percussion...

[ephyks]

Never start with the drums IMO.

Let key sample/element dictate beat structure, not the other way round.

[outbound]

1. Find artist of different style I like sound of
2. Use that as a starting point to find similar artists and build music collection
3. Mix new music and learn what things work
4. This usually inspires me enough to start a track (use other tracks as reference if needed)

[tintala]

Having a workflow and an organized library helps that workflow. Also, this is very subjective, subject.. If you have a descent library, this will dictate how you work, as well as the sounds you start with.. Another great idea from a well known producer /dj is to get a moleskin graph notebook, and make a list of ten songs you like, then go thru each song and dissect their arrangement thoroughly. LAbel each break drop , change, etc... do this to ten songs and you will have a habit of making a descent arrangement that is not necessarily dubstep but what the songs you like to listen to.

[fragments]

While I understand that many people here are making music for DJs to play and people to dance to and both dancers and DJs expect certain things structure and sound wise out of a track, I think just getting away from making DJ/dance oriented tunes would help so many people open up their productions. Teaching yourself how to use another cookie cutter really isn't going to solve the problem. I'm not talking make a non-dance track and say "WOW I'm cured"...go listen to some stuff that isn't DJ dance oriented. Immerse yourself in it. Make an album's worth of tunes not caring whether a DJ can mix it or some faced 16 year olds will dance to it. You don't have to ever let it see the light of day. But go do that then come back to the dance stuff.

[Samuel_L_Damnson]

I tend to start with the atmospheric pads and samples, this way your track can literally be any sort of genre by the time you are done with it. this is probably why i never make two similar tunes in a row and why i haven't developed my own sound or w/e but its a good way of varying what you do . also like fragments said listen to some "actual" music (dont take this offensively, I just mean something that isnt really formulaic, there is plenty of dubstep out there that isnt formulaic eg some rustie or shackleton or something) at some point, Right now im listening to Pavements Brighten The Corners, and I have already found something to sample and have thrown down a chord progression in reason, listening

[mthrfnk]

Listen to a loud of music that isn't dubstep - pop/clasical/rock/house/punk... whatever, find something you really like - try and copy it, even if it's a rock song - take the elements you like and try to emulate them electronically. Once you've started off and got into the flow, change your direction and if you're lucky you might end up with a cool original track.

[Fowles]

just find something that inspires you, thats not dubstep. also using real instruments/ more traditional synths will make things easier to produce outside of dub step. if all you've ever produced is dub step, then you probably only know how to make dub step sounds. Listen to whatever inspires you and replicate the sounds they're using, but with whatever tools you use.

I recently tried making a downtempoish song. I focused mostly on the precussion, and the other elements are mostly plucks, and real instruments such as a piano or strings.